MRA too much for Heritage Academy

The book has been made into a soon-to-be-released movie about former University of Mississippi left tackle Michael Oher.

The left tackle position is one of the highest paid in the NFL because he protects the quarterback''s blind side.

On Friday night late in the third quarter, Heritage Academy senior quarterback Will Swedenburg had the Patriots on the move trailing Madison-Ridgeland Academy 21-3.

On the previous play, Swedenburg had bulldogged his way through the line on third-and-1 for a 12-yard gain.

The following snap would be his last.

A hit from behind knocked Swedenburg to the ground, silenced the crowd and forced players from both teams to their knees.

Thirty seconds passed before Swedenburg got up slowly and walked off the field.

"I really got the breath knocked out of me," he said from the bench in the fourth quarter of what turned out to be a 28-10 loss. "I feel fine. I think I will be all right."

It was a hard-hitting game. Before the final buzzer sounded, four players needed to be helped off the field after collisions.

Senior running back Hunter Brown replaces Swedenburg at quarterback and completed 3 of 6 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.

"Hunter did a really good job," Heritage Academy coach Brad Butler said. "He has had no game experience there and limited reps in practice. He threw some really good passes, hit his targets. He did everything we asked of him."

Heritage Academy built what many though would be a 6-0 lead on an early touchdown by Brown, but it was called back on the first of 12 penalties against the Patriots.

"Penalties are killing us," Butler said. "We average about 12 a game. That is unacceptable. When your defense jumps offsides five times and gives the other team chance after chance, they are going to score eventually."

"The turning point in the game was the botched snap that went sailing over Will''s head," he said. "We can''t make mistakes like that."

On third-and-5 deep in MRA territory, a shotgun formation went from questionable to bad when the football sailed 20 yards over Swedenburg''s helmet.

Dylan Mims connected on a 27-yard field goal in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead.

MRA stormed back in the second quarter after an injury. Starting quarterback Stewart Summers, who led MRA to a win against Jackson Academy last week, had to leave the game and was replaced by junior Houston Myhan.

The 5-foot-10 speedster, who used to start, had touchdown throws of 15 yards to Jake Owen and 62 yards to Myres Verden in the second quarter.

Trailing 21-3 in the fourth quarter, Brown connected on three passes, the final one a crossing pattern to Will West for a 26-yard touchdown.